?
He quickly spoke up in the chef's defense, thinking that if the chef got fired because of a few complaints he made, the guy would definitely hold a grudge against him!
Pei Shaoze didn't respond. Instead, he stood up and walked out, leaving Yan Xin dumbfounded. He had been waiting here for him for ages, and now he was just ignoring him and leaving?
Fortunately, at the doorway, Pei Shaoze stopped and turned back to look at him. "Where's the place you mentioned?"
Yan Xin froze for a moment, then snapped out of it and jumped up from his seat. "I'll take you there."
"President Pei, I just remembered—the international chain restaurant on West Street opens today. How about we go check it out? I've heard it has a good reputation!"
They were already at the restaurant's entrance when Yan Xin suddenly blocked Pei Shaoze's path.
Pei Shaoze frowned, displeased. "President Yan, you're mistaken. That place opened over half a month ago. And not all international chains have good reputations. The one you mentioned—I just visited it recently, and I'm afraid it'll disappoint you."
"No way, you've already eaten there, so why not take me? West Street isn't far. I heard that restaurant chose its location specifically for our company. Not going would be a waste of their goodwill."
Pei Shaoze's face darkened. "Yan Xin, what's wrong with you? First, you insist on eating here, and now at the door, you want to go to West Street? Don't forget, we have work this afternoon!"
His tone was icy. After speaking, he shoved Yan Xin aside and strode inside.
Yan Xin was sweating with anxiety. He had just spotted Su Banxia and Lin Tongze sitting by the window. If Pei Shaoze saw them, who knew what kind of trouble would erupt.
He shouldn't have suggested eating here in the first place!
Thinking about it, he felt a wave of regret.
"Su Banxia!"
A roar from behind made Su Banxia flinch. She didn't need to look up to know who that familiar voice belonged to.
Pei Shaoze hadn't expected that Su Banxia's rush to have lunch was just to dine with Lin Tongze!
"President Pei, don't misunderstand. Tongze and I are just meeting as friends."
Su Banxia quickly tried to explain, afraid he'd think she was here to pass information to Lin Tongze's Ding Sheng Company.
She had never seen Pei Shaoze eat here before, and now, on the very day she came, she ran into him. It couldn't be a coincidence.
Su Banxia pondered silently—who in Ding Sheng could be targeting her like this?
Pei Shaoze was seething inside. He had told her countless times to call him Shaoze, but she never remembered. Yet she called Tongze so naturally.
"Ha, Su Banxia, do you think I can't see what you're up to? I gave you a chance after the last company leak, and this is how you repay me—by refusing to change?"
Pei Shaoze's face was dark with rage, nearly shouting every word. He never thought Su Banxia could be like this!
Meeting Lin Tongze on his turf—she had some nerve!
"President Pei, I think you're really misunderstanding Banxia. She came to me for other matters, unrelated to you or your company. Please don't think so highly of yourself."
Lin Tongze couldn't stand seeing Pei Shaoze treat Banxia this way. His usually gentle expression turned stern.
Seeing the two about to clash, Su Banxia didn't know how to explain anymore. Maybe she shouldn't explain at all!
"Calm down, everyone. President Pei is just looking out for the company. President Lin, please bear with him. President Pei, don't you know what kind of person Banxia is? She's been with the company for so long, and nothing major has happened because of her!"
Yan Xin, who had followed, saw the situation turning bad and quickly tried to mediate.
But Pei Shaoze just sneered, his anger undiminished. "Oh, I know exactly what kind of person she is—inside and out!"
His words were suggestive, and Su Banxia's face flushed red.
He stormed off after speaking. Yan Xin glanced at Su Banxia with guilt in his eyes but still hurried after him.
"I'm sorry, Tongze. I might have to leave first."
If she didn't go now, Pei Shaoze might actually kill her!
Lin Tongze nodded. "Don't worry, I'll handle the Su family matter."
At Ding Sheng Group.
Seeing Pei Shaoze storm in, everyone kept their distance, afraid to provoke him.
"Shaoze, don't be mad. There's no way it's what you think between them. If you don't trust Banxia, at least trust him, right?"
Yan Xin knew he was furious, but the whole thing was really his fault. If he hadn't insisted on going to that restaurant, none of this would have happened.
Pei Shaoze wasn't buying it. He narrowed his eyes, exuding a dangerous aura. "Ha, trust him? Trust him to put Su Banxia by my side? Trust him so our company's information ends up in his hands!"
He had warned Su Banxia, given her a chance, but she still did this. No wonder he was so angry.
He turned his gaze to Yan Xin. "And you. You saw Su Banxia and him in there all along, didn't you? If I hadn't insisted on going in, would you have helped them hide it from me?"
Yan Xin swallowed hard, not daring to speak.
"Yan Xin, I think you've been too idle lately."
Hearing this, Yan Xin knew Pei Shaoze was up to no good and immediately shook his head. "No! President Pei, I've been very busy lately! The documents on my desk could bury me! And the Su family partnership is in the works—I'm swamped!"
If he admitted to being idle, Pei Shaoze would dump everyone's work on him.
"Ha, in that case, I don't mind giving you more to do! Sort out this pile of documents on the desk in one day! And keep following up on the Su family partnership!"
Pei Shaoze didn't care about his protests. He finished angrily and walked out.
People who sided with outsiders didn't deserve his kindness.
Yan Xin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the punishment was manageable, but when he saw the mountain of papers on Pei Shaoze's desk, he instantly regretted it. "Come on, Shaoze!"
But Pei Shaoze was already gone. Resistance was futile, so Yan Xin grimaced and sat down at his desk to start organizing. After all this commotion, he hadn't even had lunch yet!
A knock came from the door, and then Su Banxia appeared before Yan Xin.
"President Pei!"
She called out to the person at the desk, wanting to explain what had just happened.
Yan Xin looked up in response, and Su Banxia realized Pei Shaoze wasn't there.
This was clearly Pei Shaoze's office. Could it be that because of what happened, he didn't want to share a room with her and had given the office to Yan Xin?
"President Yan, why are you here? Where's President Pei?"
It was all just speculation. The office hadn't changed at all, not like Yan Xin had moved in.
Yan Xin looked a bit embarrassed, unwilling to admit he'd been punished by Pei Shaoze. He just brushed it off. "I'm just looking over some documents here. Shaoze just left—didn't you see him?"
Su Banxia hadn't seen a trace of Pei Shaoze on her way up.
"No, do you know where he went? What happened today was really a misunderstanding. I just wanted Lin Tongze to help the Su family!"
"I don't know either. But by the Su family, do you mean Su Jin?"
Yan Xin didn't know which Su family she meant, but he was sure it wasn't her own, since her resume had already made her situation clear.